How to avoid tech disasters this Christmas

Thousands of people will wake up on Monday morning to find a phone or tablet under the Christmas tree. Here are some tips to help ensure the setup process is as stress-free as possible.

Know logins and passwords

If Santa is bringing a phone or tablet, I’d recommend associating it with a parent’s device or set up a Gmail account, which is accessible to the parents

Back content up

Take a few minutes to ensure all content on the old device is backed up, before moving to the new one

Back contacts to Gmail and photos to a service such as Google Photos or iCloud

Set up device as new or old

When turning on the new device, the majority of devices will ask if you want to set it up as a new device or restore from backup. If you opt for ‘restore from backup’, this will drag across any info that has been backed up. On Android, this includes contacts, apps and photos. On iOS, this should everything.

Follow instructions

The urge is always there to race through setup and get to playing with the device, but take the time to follow the on-screen instructions. If it asks you to set up facial recognition or register fingerprints, just to it. You can go back in later through the settings and do it then, but just take the time and do it from the outset.

Keep packaging

I always keep the packaging of a new device for a week - regardless of what it is. If there’s a problem with it, you may need to bring it to a shop to get it fixed or replaced - this applies to things brought by Santa too.

Screen protectors

If your device does not come with a cover or screen protector, head out on the 26th and invest in one! Again, don’t put it off. Just buy it. You will be grateful for it in the long run.